A Very Normal Friendship
by JillSwinburne
Summary: Two girls from Scotland find themselves caught up in the Doctor's adventures
1. Introducing US

Introducing Us

"You just saw that right?"

"You mean did I just see that large blue retro police box materialise in the middle of the street?"

"Yes."

"Yes, I think I did, although apparently everyone else missed it."

The policeman on guard outside the Scottish Parliament building hadn't even looked up at the grinding noise the box had made as it had appeared on the edge of the pavement. On the other side of the road the tourists on their way to Hollyrood House did not seem to have been disturbed either and on the hill behind the box there were no interested onlookers pointing out its rather odd appearance. Only the two girls standing mere feet away from where the solid mass had materialised out of thin air seemed to have noticed that it was not technically supposed to be there and certainly had not bee so a moment before.

They were an odd pair; one was fairly tall and slim with long chestnut hair and a little pixie face like an innocent Kate Moss. The other was a few inches shorter and curvier with auburn curls and a single raised eyebrow.

"Um," murmured the tall one, whose name was Gillian, "does this often happen around here?"

"Why on earth should I know?" replied the other who was called Jennifer.

"Well it's just that you spend more time in Edinburgh than I do." Her friend gave her a look which clearly said, "Do you know how incredibly stupid your logic is?" and Gillian shrugged but before she could say anything else the door of the box opened and a man wandered out. He was tall, moreso than either of the two girls and rather gangly. He wore a brown pinstripe suit and a brown tie as well as a light trench-coat and a truly funky pair of converse sneakers. He scrubbed his eyes with his fists before stretching and giving a massive yawn. He passed a hand through his messy hair and waved at them.

"Do you have the time?" he called, grinning. Gillian shrugged, she worked on her own time but Jennifer pulled back her sleeve and studied her watch before replying, "Coming up for half past two."

"Half past two, fantastic," the man seemed rather over cheerful at this triviality, "It's half past two in the afternoon on the thirteenth of July, 2006 and I'm in Edinburgh. Fantastic!" He flashed them a manic grin, obviously expecting them to be as pleased as he was and they both found his happy manner rather infectious.

"But where the hell did you come from?" asked Gillian grinning happily back, "I mean there was just this godawful noise and then whoosh! There you were." The man frowned at this.

"You saw that?" he asked. "Both of you?" They nodded. "Well… isn't that interesting." He put out his hand, "I'm the Doctor." he said.

"Just "the Doctor"?"

"Yup, and you two ladies are?"

"Gillian," said Gillian taking the proffered hand; the guy was hot, what did it matter who he was.

"Gillian, interesting, very nice to meet you. And you are?" He released Gillian's hand and put out his own in the direction of the other girl. Not being quite so frivolous Jennifer considered for a moment before taking it.

"Jennifer."

"Jennifer and Gillian well isn't that just fantastic. And you both saw the TARDIS arrive did you?"

"TARDIS"

"The box," he replied tapping the old police box proudly, "stands for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space or something, to tell the truth I can't actually remember what it stands for but that sounds quite good doesn't it. Let's go for a walk shall we."

Before either of them could disagree he swung his arms around both their shoulders and took off in the direction of Arthur's Seat.

"And just how did you happen to notice my little ship arriving, you must be two very observant ladies." He asked cheerfully as he dragged them up the steep side of the hill. His cheerfulness was rather forceful now and just a little worrying.

"Why do you want to know?" asked Jennifer.

He stopped already quite far up the steep incline and released them from his grip. In the wind which was fairly constant up there his coat flapped around him like a rather tall scarecrow. He looked at them quizzically for a moment before putting a hand in his pocket and drawing out a long metal cylinder with several rings and buttons on it. He moved a couple of rings and a small blue light appeared at the end of the cylinder.

"This," he said holding up the device for them to see, "this is a sonic screwdriver, apart from being very good at putting up shelves it performs several other functions most of which I've found a use for but I tend to find this one rather handy. This function performs an optical and passive brain scan."

"Passive" brain scan?" asked Gillian.

"Non-obtrussive, it won't muck up any of the lovely muck in your head just gives me a brainwave pattern neutron breakdown."

"Right." The two girls stared at him and then at the device in his hand.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He said softly, so softly that his voice was almost lost to the wind. "But most people don't notice the TARDIS arrive because their brains blind them. You both must be quite exceptional people to have its arrival register in your heads. I just want to have a look." His voice was gentle and his eyes showed nothing but kindness. "Please." He put out his hand towards them once more.

This time it was Jennifer who bit the bullet first taking his hand and letting him sit her down on the grass. Gillian hung back and bit her lip watching warily not really afraid that he would hurt them but not really willing to be the first to undergo some kind of weird medical procedure.

"Alright Jennifer, just look into the light and try not to blink too much." He raised the glowing screwdriver to her eye and for a minute there was a faint buzzing. "All done."

After that it was Gillian's turn and having convinced herself that there was no pain involved she submitted herself to the test. When it was finished the Doctor turned some more dials on the screwdriver and put it back in his jacket pocket.

"It needs to catalogue the data." He said winking at them for no particular reason.

"Seriously," exclaimed Gillian, "but dude if it's not right now then it's not technology!" The Doctor laughed.

"Ignore her she works with children." Laughed Jennifer and Gillian threw her a look but they had both caught the Doctor's laughter and she quickly succumbed.

The three of them continued their walk up the hill at a more leisurely pace than before. They told the Doctor about themselves, that Jennifer was a student at Edinburgh University and that Gillian was a disgruntled childcare worker, that they had both gone to school together and that their birthdays had been on the two previous days Gillian being older by roughly thirteen hours. In return the Doctor told them about himself.

"Really?" shouted Gillian. "Time travel, really?"

"Yup. Why don't you believe me?" The two girls glanced at each other.

"Why not," said Jennifer evenly, "after all humans can't be the only race in the universe and with a bit of imagination time travel can't be that difficult." The Doctor grinned at Gillian.

"She's deep, your friend."

"Not really she's just good at bluffing." The Doctor laughed and Jennifer cuffed her friend lightly across the head.

"But what about this girl you travel with. Rose you said her name was, where is she?" asked Gillian concerned that she might have competition.

"I dropped her off at Glastonberry six years ago, her favourite band was playing and her mum said she was too young to go by herself back then."

Just then there was a small beeping noise from his pocket and reaching in he pulled out the sonic screwdriver. "Your results." He said waving the screwdriver at them then he studied the casing for a few minutes and although the girls leaned over his shoulder they could see nothing of any interest.

"Well," said Gillian after a minute, " are we hideously abnormal or do we have x-ray vision or something?" The Doctor grinned.

"Not quite. You might be rather twisted but there's nothing abnormal in you. You," he pointed to Gillian, "need to start wearing your glasses more often and you" he looked at Jennifer, "well alright in your case abnormal applies 'cos no one of your age should understand Shakespeare let alone enjoy it. But other than that you're both healthy normal girls… which makes it all the more interesting." He jumped up in one movement.

"I have to be heading off. Got to pick Rose up and I need to take a look at the TARDIS navigation system, it's been playing up a bit."

Gillian and Jennifer followed him sadly down the hill back to the police box opposite the Scottish Parliament building. When he had unlocked the door he turned to grin at them.

"I'll be back," he told them, "you two are weird and I love weird stuff. You'll be seeing me. By the way," and here he leaned forward and pecked each of the on the cheek quickly, "Happy Birthday both of you!"

And with that he disappeared back into the TARDIS which began to creak and moan as it dematerialised. The two girls turned to stare at each other.

"Well…," said Gillian quietly, "he was… hot." Jennifer nodded.

"Definitely a shouldn't but would."

"Nah, definitely just a would!"

"Yeh."

They burst into peals of laughter attracting the attention of the policeman who was still on guard. The two girls linked arms and started backup the Royal Mile chatting randomly.


	2. Pub Quiz

Pub Quiz

It had been one week since the doctor's visit and both of the girls had talked about it in passing but never in depth and certainly not to anyone else. Well, who would believe them?

"You still up for that pub quiz then?" Gillian had called Jennifer that Friday night.

"Yea! Tell you what I'll come over at 7 and we'll get a taxi from yours."

"Sounds good, in dire need of a beer!"

"Know how you feel only none of that swill you call a drink! Dark Rum!"

"Beer!"

"Rum!"

Both girls giggled on the phone, the two had such varying tastes it was a miracle they had stayed good friends for so long.

"Why are we arguing? We both know where this night is heading…"

"Oh no, Gillian you know what your like! Well I'm not bloody carrying you to the taxi!" One of Gillian's major weaknesses was shooters. Unfortunately it ended in a mess, or to be more precise she ended up in a mess.

"I have no idea what you mean…I'll see you at 7!" The two girls laughed as they hung up.

AT 6.55PM LATER THAT NIGHT

Gillian recognized Jennifer's tell tale knock on the door and hurried to answer.

"You're early. Again!"

"Well I can't help it if I don't run by your warped version of time! Are you not ready!" Jennifer had picked up on the fact that Gillian was still in her dressing gown.

"Hair and makeup is done! Just finding something to wear. I own no clothes!" Gillian threw one of her usual overly exaggerated hand gestures as she shut the door.

"Gillian, you have almost two wardrobes and a chest of drawers full of clothes! Go! Now! I'll get us drinks!" Jennifer pushed her up the stairs and made her way to the kitchen.

"Yes mother. Mines..."

"A beer, I've known you how long? Now shift!"

Both chuckled to themselves at how predictable each other was.

An oddly familiar grinding noise came from the back of the house. Both girls heard it and instant went to find each other and then the source.

"Gillian! Get your butt down here!"

"Don't bloody worry I'm here!" Jennifer had never seen Gillian move so fast in her life and that included the times she set herself on fire.

They raced to the back of the house where the kitchen was and looked out the of the window into the back garden.

"Oh my gawd, it's that tar...tar… That bloody great blue thing again!"

Gillian and Jennifer stared open mouthed as it came to a stop.

The door opened and from inside stepped a tall, grinning man. He walked straight up to the back door and knocked. Neither of the girls moved a muscle, well, if a bloody great police phone box just parked in your garden you would be hesitant too.

"Will I be answering the door then?" Jennifer asked eyes still fixed on the box.

"Yea that would be good." Gillian's eyes had also locked onto the box. What would the neighbors think?

Jennifer unlocked the back door and the man walked in still grinning. In the small kitchen the doctor seemed even taller than on Arthur's Seat.

"Hello! Did I catch you at a bad time?" He indicated to the dressing gown.

"Bugger! I'll be back down in a minuet!" Gillian took of up the stairs before anyone had a chance to speak.

"She always greet people like that?" The doctor nodded in the direction of Gillian.

"Like what? Swears at them while semi dressed?"

"Yea."

"Oh, all the time. Um I think the neighbors may talk." Jennifer pointed to the box outside.

"Nah unlikely, people see what they want to see and those old biddies have lived there for so long all she will see is a few bedding plants out of place. Brilliant how the mind works!" Another maniacal grin.

Gillian thundered down the stars wearing something suitable dark for a night out and some sparklies.

"Oh my god Gillian!" Jennifer exclaimed

Oh God what is it? See I said to you yesterday that my eyes felt funny after that hack shined his torch thing in it!" Gillian stared into the nearest mirror franticly looking for a third eye.

"Oi!"

"No! You've never gotten dressed so quick in your life! If I had known all it took was a time travelling alien I would have tried it years ago!"

Jennifer grinned.

"Uh hello? Said time travelling alien in the room thank you!"

The three Giggled as Gillian called a cab. Well why should the Doc miss out on such an 'education'.


	3. Opera, Paris and Little Ghosts

Opera, Paris and Little Ghosts

"Where are you goin' to take us this time?" asked Gillian as she and Jennifer once more entered the TARDIS from the back garden of 3, Elizabeth Avenue.

"Well I was wondering if we might not do something a little more educational this time." Replied the Doctor, turning to smile at them from his place by the console.

"Oh," murmured Gillian, slightly disappointed, "like what?"

"Like, how much do you know about opera?" he asked.

"I went to see "The Phantom of the Opera" once, but I don't suppose that counts." Said Gillian. The Doctor smiled.

"It might do. What about you Jen, I would of thought you would be into opera."

"I've heard bits and pieces and I saw "Carmen Jones" on TV a couple of months ago. But I've always wanted to see a proper opera."

"Then your wish is my command." Said the Doctor with a bow. He caught sight of Gillian's expression and winked at her, "And next time I'll take you to the Vin Deisil exhibition at the "Milky Way Actor's Museum" okay."

Gillian brightened at this.

"Whatever you say Doc."

"Alright, everyone hold on tight." The Doctor flipped the switches of the TARDIS control panel and the girls felt the ship heave beneath their feet as it entered the time vortex. When it landed the Doctor nodded towards the wardrobe room.

"Paris," he told them, "1932, "La Traviata" by Verdi, opening night of one of the most successful runs in history with La Piccina, one of the greatest Verdi soprano's of all time."

"Paris!" the girls squeaked in unison.

"Yup, now hurry up and get changed, you don't want to miss the first act."

The pair practically ran all the way to the wardrobe room and began sorting through the racks of clothes.

"Here this'll look great on you, plus it's black." called Jennifer, handing her friend a gorgeous black silk gown with diamond panels and a train. Gillian was happy to let her friend choose the clothes for these occasions, it was the type of stuff she loved and she always showed good taste. Gillian was just amazed that the TARDIS stocked everything in their sizes. For herself Jennifer had found an off the shoulder costume of dark red velvet. She had also managed to find some appropriate underwear and accessories. Once they were dressed she even did Gillian's hair, contriving it into a long role across the nape of her neck with pins and a considerable amount of hairspray. For her own she kept it in loose waves at the front, pleating it at the back and twirling it into a knot which she pinned to the back of her head. Black gloves, some fake diamonds and a grey fur wrap completed Gillian's outfit while Jennifer went with pearls, black silk gloves and a black velvet cape. Linking arms the two friends sashayed along to the control room and stopped in the doorway, staring at the Doctor.

Normally the Doctor didn't get changed when they went on their little expeditions. No one really seemed to notice if his brown suit and overcoat didn't quite fit in but tonight he had made a real effort. He was dressed in the kind of suit which is usually referred to as "white tie and tails" and always made Jennifer think of Fred Astaire. There were black trousers and a short-waisted black jacket with long lapels and two tails at the back. Then there was an ivory shirt, waistcoat and bowtie. Gold cufflinks sparkled at his wrists and his black patent shoes shone. The suit fitted well, not that his normal one didn't but it seemed to enhance his slightly gangling image where this one made him seem perfectly proportioned. He had made an effort with his hair as well, it was combed and lay flatter than usual on his head. Gillian had to contain herself from muttering "Woof" at the sight of him. The man was hot!

"Well look at you two." He said cheerfully when he saw them. "You both look fantastic!"

"Thanks," managed Jennifer who looked like she were about to disintegrate into a puddle of drool if he smiled like that again. "You look…. good too."

"Very good," murmured Gillian.

"Thanks," he said, giving them a twirl that almost made them both faint, "we should get going." He grabbed a long black coat and threw it on, completing the look with a white silk scarf. Gillian and Jennifer left through the door he held open for them and then he took hold of them both, one on each arm and propelled them out into the Paris evening.

There was some snow on the ground and there was a bite to the air. The TARDIS was parked outside the exit to the Opera Metro station, just across from the building itself. The Opera House was lit up with golden light like a giant wedding cake and surrounded by ancient, classic cars and carriages. Beautifully dressed men and women exited these vehicles and climbed the steps into the glorious building. Gillian had only ever seen it from the outside and could not help the gasp that escaped her upon entering.

There was gold and marble and soft gaslight everywhere. A man near the door took their coats and another checked the tickets which the Doctor held out to him. They were lead up one of the grand marble stairways and along a corridor with several red door all with golden numbers on them. The steward stopped at one of these doors and unlocked it with a small golden key. The Doctor ushered them inside and this time both girls let out a gasp. They were in one of the small exclusive boxes near the stage. Everything in there was red velvet, white plaster and gold leaf. The Doctor sat down between them and reached into his jacket pocket.

"I thought you might like to se this." He said passing a sheaf of papers to Jennifer. "It's the libretto for this opera. The music and choral score all in Italian." Jennifer whooped with delight as she flicked through the pages.

"This is amazing." She whispered, her face glowing.

"What's La Traviata about anyway?" asked Gillian from the other side.

"It's kind of like "Moulin Rouge" without the pop-culture references." Replied Jennifer. Gillian nodded her approval and settled back to watch as the lights in the theatre dimmed.

It was like Moulin Rouge; there was a consumptive prostitute and everything. The music soared above their heads and the three sat enthralled in their little box. During the interval the Doctor had champagne brought up and they drank and talked. As it turned out the Doctor was something of an opera nut and kept shouting "Brava, brava" when everyone clapped and cheered. When the performance was over both girls were rather reluctant to leave the magic of the Opera House behind.

Wrapped up in their furs and cloaks they felt their way gingerly down the steps in the cold. They looked sadly over at the TARDIS which they could see across the road, expecting to be told it was time to go home but instead the Doctor hailed one of the ornamental open top horse-drawn carriages.

"Game for a ride?" he asked.

"Absolutely!" they chorused and they clambered aboard. The horse took off at a slow canter towards the Magdelaine but it was barely half-way down the street when Gillian pointed out the problem with this mode of transport.

"It's bloody freezing." she announced, shivering. Jennifer nodded her agreement. They were sat together on one side of the carriage facing the Doctor who was travelling backwards.

"Ah, but I am the Doctor and as such have the universal cure to cold." and reaching under his seat he pulled out two huge woollen blankets. Scooting across the gap the bunched himself in between the girls and pulled the blankets around the three of them putting his arms around them both. "Snuggle up." He told them happily as they cuddled into him appreciatively.

They continued in silence for some time looking around the beautiful city all lit up for night.

"I bet you don't know what I'm thinkin' about." Gillian said, peering around the Doctor's chest to Jennifer. She laughed.

"Oh I bet I do. One, two, three, hit it!" And they began to sing. It was a stupid song, from what the Doctor could make out. Something about a man being in love with a ghost or some other such nonsense. At one point they took to caterwauling long screeching notes and at the end they abandoned singing altogether and jigged up and down making guitar noises then fell about laughing.

"What the hell was that?" he asked.

"Little Ghost by the White Stripes," Gillian told him through her laughter. "It was the unofficial anthem the year the two of us went to Paris for the summer." They started laughing again.

"That's stupid!" he told them but they weren't really listening. "It's not even a Parisy song." He said.

"Alright tell us a Parisy song and we'll sing it." Challenged Jennifer.

"Well, you will." Said Gillian and got a look.

"Okay," said the Doctor after a minute, "how about La Vie en Rose."

"Only know the tune." Said Gillian.

"I know it," Jennifer practically crowed.

"All together then." Cheered the Doctor and they sang La Vie en Rose in a surprisingly good three part harmony. By the time they had finished laughing over that they were back at the Opera House again and it was really freezing.

"Inside and warm up the TARDIS." He told them. "I feel like going somewhere hot for a while."

"Like where?" asked Gillian.

"I was thinking about the solar park on Mercury in 3010." The girls grinned at twin images of the Doctor sunbathing in shorts and all the fun you could have with tanning lotion.

"Sounds good." They said in unison, closing the door of the TARDIS behind them.


	4. Faces from the Past

Faces from the Past

When the Doctor opened the door of the TARDIS Jennifer was already standing outside grinning. He had landed the box in the turning space at the end of her street and she had come running out of the house and down the road at the familiar sound of the ship's engines. He stepped aside to let her through.

"No Gillian," he queried with a raised eyebrow, "I thought you two practically lived together." Jennifer shook her head.

"Actually she's in Plymouth seeing Kev."

"Who's Kev?"

"Her boyfriend."

"Oh yeh, he's in the navy right? I would of thought he was more likely to have a boyfriend than a girlfriend." Jennifer laughed.

"Jealous Doctor? And I wouldn't let Gill hear you say that, she can kill a man at twenty paces you know." He returned her laugh.

"I know," he said, "and I am not jealous, I'm just… concerned." This made both of them laugh again.

"Well, since it's just you and me I know exactly where to take you."

"I'm not sure I like the sound of that." She said, frowning. The Doctor gave her a manic grin.

"Hold on tight culture vulture!" He flipped the switches of the control panel expertly and pulled the big lever. Jennifer gripped the ship tightly with both hands as she felt it hurtle through space and time. They landed with a decided _thunk. _

"Where are we?" she asked, leaning over the panel to check the clock.

"Venice, eighteenth century about noon I'd say.

"Venice, oh my God I love Venice!"

"I thought you might." He flashed her another grin. "You better get changed then, you'll be arrested if you walk around dressed like that." And he shooed her off towards the wardrobe room.

Changing clothes took some time even after she found the machine which could lace everything, including corsets. When she was done she nodded at her reflection in the mirror before running back to the control room. The Doctor smile appreciatively at her, she was wearing a green gown with gold trim which set off her auburn hair in which there were green and gold ribbons.

"The perfect lady." He said.

"Aren't you getting changed?" she asked looking disappointedly at his brown suit and feeling that, nice as it was he could have made a bit of an effort.

"You'd be surprised how much I can get away with." He replied, offering her his arm in a most gentlemanly fashion.

Together they left the TARDIS and stepped out onto the streets of eighteenth century Venice. Jennifer had been to the city in the twenty first century but that was not quite the same. Here all the palazzos on the Grand Canal were still occupied by the great families of the time. There were tourists but they were mostly young Englishmen concluding their Grand Tour, there were no cameras and no flocks of Japanese tourists. On the other hand the warmth of the day made the smell rather worse than it had been when she was there, or as it had/was going to be. English was a complicated language when it came to past/future tenses.

All around them beautifully dressed men and women mixed between ragged peasants in the market across the Rialto. As he had predicted no one was giving the Doctor a second glance and they were heading across the great bridge when there was a shout from behind them and a young man dressed in red dashed passed throwing them out of the way. The Doctor took a firm grip on Jennifer's arm to keep her upright. The market-place took a breath and was about to get back to business when a trio of men rounded the corner, obviously in pursuit of the man in red but when they paused for breath the man in the lead pointed straight at the Doctor.

"There he is the villain. After him!" They began to charge across the market towards the Doctor and Jennifer. The two glanced at each other.

"Run!" muttered the Doctor and taking a firm grip on her hand he pulled her off down an alley in the same direction the young man had run. They heard the other three men puffing after them and changed direction. Jennifer was glad she had had the sense to keep her own shoes on beneath her gown, just in case. As they rounded another corner a voice called out to them.

"Oi dimwit, over 'ere!"

As they turned in the direction of the speaker they were both hauled over the edge of the canal they had been running alongside and landed in the prow of a covered gondola.

"Get under cover!" hissed their benefactor, a tall black man in blue and silver livery. They scrambled under the roof of the little punt and felt it move off in the water.

"I don't know," came the voice from outside, "you don't pay me nearly enough for all this you don't."

The Doctor and Jennifer looked at each other.

"Someone you know?" she asked. The Doctor shook his head.

"I've never met any of them before. It's clearly a case of mistaken identity."

"Hadn't you better tell that to the bloke who's steering." The Doctor grinned in reply.

"What? And miss this lovely peaceful boat ride. I don't think so." So they sat back and enjoyed the trip which was much too short for Jennifer's liking after all that running. Besides there wasn't a lot of room under the cover of the gondola and the Doctor had been sitting close to her with his arm around her waist which was rather comfortable and something she definitely didn't intend to tell Gillian about. But the boat came to a stop and the dark man poked his head under the cover.

"You comin' or what?" Then he seemed to see Jennifer for the first time. "Sorry about this miss but I think you should know that my master's a nob."

"Oi!" cried the Doctor seeing that he was being indicated here. "I am not a nob!"

"Yes you are, and what's more you're a stupid nob. Now come on I've got to get rid of this gondola before the owner notices it's missing."

The Doctor helped Jennifer out of the little boat and the strange man opened the door of the house in front of them.

"Where are we?" asked Jennifer. The Doctor looked around and then smiled in recognition.

"This is Catrigatti Street!"

"No," sneered the black man, "I've told you before, it's the back of Catrigatti Street, on the corner, five floors up." He shook his head and held the door open for them, frowning at the Doctor's suit as they entered. "I'll be back soon. I'm sure you can amuse yourselves 'till then." And with a farewell smirk he was gone.

The two looked at each other, thoroughly at a loss when a voice called out from the top of the stairs.

"Rocco, is that you? Where the bloody hell have you been, I could've been killed you know!" As he spoke the owner of the voice appeared on the stairs before them. And stopped. And stared. Jennifer and the Doctor stared back because the man on the stairs was the Doctor.

It was insane. Like looking at a reflection in a mirror Jennifer thought. There they were, two perfect copies of the same person, except that the more you looked the more you realised they were not the same, like identical twins. To start with there were the clothes, the Doctor was still wearing his usual brown suit and the man on the stairs was wearing britches, knee-high boots and a gaping red shirt with a black neck cloth making her realise he had been the young man who had pushed past them in the market. Then there were the eyes; the Doctor's were deep brown the young man's impossibly blue. The man on the stairs was younger too, not by much perhaps only two or three years and his hair was longer at the back and twisted into a little pony-tail while the Doctor's was longer on top. The Doctor was thinner too, there seemed to be more angles to his face than to the other man's. But despite all these differences it was still an amazing likeness.

"Well," said the Doctor eventually, "that's interesting. Who are you?"

"I was about to ask the same question," replied the young man, they had the same voice too Jennifer noticed, "and seein' as you're in my house I think I should get to ask first." And he was certainly as cheeky as the Doctor.

"Ah, yes, alright then. I'm… um the Doctor. Doctor Smith actually, yes from England and this is my… wife." Jennifer managed to control the blush she felt coming at that announcement.

"From England?" said the young man. "Your Italian is very good."

"Thanks," grinned the Doctor, "how's my accent?"

"Ludicrous. I'm Casanova by the way. Giacomo Casanova, at your service." He gave a sweeping bow.

"The Casanova!" exclaimed Jennifer without thinking.

"I suppose so." He replied giving her a smile so uncannily like the Doctor's she thought she might faint. But the Doctor seemed to have gotten an idea.

"Fantastic. In that case Mr Casanova, my lady wife and I were looking for a guide to your fair city. If you would be willing to oblige I'm sure we could make it worth your while."

"How much?" asked Casanova promptly. The Doctor thought for a minute.

"One hundred zucchini." He suggested.

"For a tour!" gawped the young man.

"Well you know us English, mad with our money ain't we." There were manic grins all around and then Casanova nodded.

"I'll get me coat." He murmured returning up the stairs.

"How?" asked Jennifer, as soon as he was gone, "How is that possible?" The Doctor frowned slightly.

"I'm not sure. I think it has something to do with there being only so many ways of putting a face together in the universe so sometimes a pattern gets repeated. Something like that anyway. Besides," and here she was treated to another manic grin, "Casanova, how much more cultural can you get."

Casanova returned and they left the house. Jennifer decided that she quite liked him. He was clever and funny in much the same ways the Doctor was only slightly more outrageous. As they walked through the streets he waved to and was waved at by various women and occasionally he would duck into an alleyway or crouch behind some market stall, most likely hiding from unforgiving husbands. He took them everywhere, all the most beautiful churches, pointed out the greatest palazzos and recounted the lives of those who lived within. He took them to St Mark's square where Jennifer was careful not to step between the columns at the entrance to the piazetta as all Venetians did for fear of bad luck as that was where public executions were held.

They had coffee in Floriens where the similarity between the Doctor and the notorious lover began to spark interest and they were soon at the centre of a circle of interested spectators. Between them they invented a tale of a long-lost half-brother and gave such a convincing performance that even Jennifer was inclined to believe it. As day began to draw into evening Casanova said,

"Look I know of a party that's happening tonight. I'm not invited but that doesn't matter. Do you want to come?"

The Doctor frowned, "Maybe we should be getting back." He said to Jennifer.

"Oh please, just one party. I've always wanted to go to a Venetian ball, pleeeease." The Doctor sighed.

"Oh alright."

"Can't refuse the little lady anything ay," chirruped Casanova, "I can't say I blame you." Jennifer blushed and even the Doctor went pink at the ears. Casanova laughed.

"To the ball then."

It was everything Jennifer had hoped for in a ball. Men and women dressed in their finest, wine, food and glorious music. She danced with Casanova, whom she had decided Gillian would adore even more than the Doctor by virtue of his blue eyes, and she danced with the Doctor who was a lot better than she thought he might have been. He was very good in fact and he kept grinning at her. When the dance ended he drew her aside, his arm still around her waist.

"Having fun?" he asked.

"The most ever." She replied. "Gill'll kill me when she finds out I had this much fun without her." The Doctor laughed. As he did so he turned around and his laughter died away as he looked at something across the room. Turning to see what was wrong Jennifer saw Casanova on the other side of the room talking to a young woman. She was dressed in red with ribbons in her dark hair and the pair of them were grinning beatifically at each other. But something about the scene had made the Doctor turn pale, his good humour gone.

"Who is she?" she asked quietly.

"Her name is Henriette," he replied, his voice quiet and full of something she didn't like, "she is his curse." He was silent for a moment before he spoke again. "It's time to go."

Taking her hand tightly he pulled her through the crush of people and out of the ball. As they walked the streets back in the direction they had left the TARDIS the Doctor marched along in silence. His mood scared Jennifer slightly and it took all her courage to finally ask him what was wrong.

"Nothing." He spat.

"There must be something. Why did you say Henriette was a curse?"

"Nothing, no reason." He was searching in his pocket for the TARDIS key and trying not to look at her.

"Doctor." There was a warning in her voice.

"It's nothing, he's in love with her that's all."

"Why is that a problem?"

"It isn't."

"Then why did you call her a curse?" They had reached the ship now and the Doctor had the door open and he still wasn't looking at her.

"It's complicated. She married another man. Casanova was exiled from Venice and he spent the rest of his life trying to get her back." She followed him into the control room.

"What's wrong with that?" The Doctor turned round suddenly, his face was fierce and she took a step backwards.

"Because he never got her back, alright? He died old and alone, someone's penniless librarian and he never found her again." He turned away again.

"Doctor …" she began softly but he cut her off, his voice little more than a whisper as he gazed at the blinking controls.

"She died and she left him alone. He spent all those years reaching out for her but she was always just too far away. And then she died. They all died. Everyone he ever knew, his friends, every woman he ever loved, every man woman and child he ever knew died and left him by himself and then he died too in some drafty little room in a cold ruin and nobody cared."

Jennifer could feel the tears start to brim in her eyes as he spoke, not just for the bright young man she had met today but for the man before her.

"Humans just die, they wither and they die and there's nothing anyone can do. There's nothing I can do. And there's no point reaching out to the stars and hoping that this time you'll catch what you're looking for because even if you do manage to catch it it burns out and withers in your hand and you're left with nothing again." He looked at her over his shoulder and she could see the tear tracks on his face as she could feel them on her own. "But I'm not going to let it happen anymore."

In a sudden blaze of action he began to flip the switches and pull the levers. Beneath her feet the TARDIS began to rumble ominously. She had to grab onto the metal girders of the ship to keep from falling over at the sudden motion.

"Doctor!" she shouted in desperation as he clung to the panel the green and gold lights flashing hideous patterns on his face, hollowing out his cheeks and deepening the shadows beneath his eyes.

"I'm not going to watch the people I love wither away anymore!" he shouted. "I always try to make them leave before it has to happen but it still causes too much damage. I can't keep reaching out anymore." As the TARDIS shuddered to a halt he wheeled around and took her by arm, heading for the door.

"I'm not going to watch any more. Not Rose, not you, not Gillian. Tell her I said goodbye. I won't be coming around anymore. I can't keep reaching." His voice had dropped to a whisper again and his grip was like steel but she broke free and stared him down.

"But you have to!" she shouted at him, the tears coursing down her face. Taking a breath she composed herself and wiped away the tears, shaking him off when he reached for her again. When she spoke again she tried to keep her voice even but she could not hide the tremble of emotion. "You have to keep reaching for the stars because every time you get a little closer and if you give up you lose your faith and realise that you're standing on air, and then you fall. Yes having something, someone is better than chasing your entire life but even that's preferable to having nothing and knowing it. Our entire lives we live in hope that we will touch the thing we reach for, some people do and some people don't but the people who stop trying…" she broke off and swallowed hard. He was looking at her, a strange lost look like a small child who's lost his only friend.

"The people who stop trying," she said again, "no one even cares what happens to them and that's how people go bad. I think you could go that way and I think if you did you would be the worst person that ever lived, down in the dark evil, angry and sad and spiteful and unloved but you could have gone that way so many times and you didn't. You've lived so long Doctor and you have so long yet to live, you can't let go now. I won't let you go now."

There was a long deep silence while he stared at her and then something broke. He took a breath and folded up at her feet the tears running freely down his cheeks and his shoulders shaking violently as the TARDIS echoed to his aching sobs. Jennifer knelt down by his side and pulled his head against her shoulder, stroking his hair until he fell silent and looked up at her. He saw a girl, not even twenty yet but with a nerve of steel and a heart stronger than any he could have imagined. He knew that both she and her friend were the same in that respect that was part of the reason they were so close. He'd seen it that first day on top of Arthur's Seat, he'd seen that they were different, strong, true and he'd seen that they would never let their friends fall and that, he knew was why he had come back for them so many times and would come back so many times more.

He was silent for a while longer before getting to his feet and pulling Jennifer up with him. He pushed some hair away from her face and smiled.

"Go and get changed," he said softly, "When does Gillian come home?"

"This Sunday."

"I'll be around next Wednesday I should think. Alloa Road, about oneish?"

"I think we're both free."

"Good. Go and get changed." But he hugged her tightly, convulsively, before she darted off, kissing the top of her head and watching down the passage long after she had disappeared from sight.

The next morning Jennifer's mother greeted her with a teasing smile.

"Someone you want to tell me about?" she asked indicating a large bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table. There were beautiful white calla lilies and deep red long-stemmed roses all tied up with an ivory ribbon. There was also a card. Jennifer opened it and smiled at the message. "Thank You."

She was definitely not telling Gillian about that.


	5. Truth to the Tale

Truth to the Tale

This was the best one yet in both of their opinions. Of all the planets and time-spheres the Doctor had taken them to so far this rated the highest. The name of the planet was Viehmann 2; it was really just a moon but was large enough to be confused with a planet and had been given actual planetary status sometime during the Earth 51st century. The inhabitants of the planet around which it orbited were humanoid creatures with golden skin and the ability to live underwater. Some time during their 18th century they had come into contact with Earth in secret.

"Ever wonder who those moving statue people were all over the place?" the Doctor had asked them while explaining where they were going.

"Anyway the longer they stayed there and the more they observed the more they became obsessed with Earth culture, particularly fairytales. Don't know why; might have something to do with them having a very limited imagination as a race. So they gathered up all the information they could and flew back home. When they got back they told everyone how fantastic this stuff was and they decided to create their own fairytale world. So they started building on their moon, which was pretty much inhabitable anyway and because they happen to be rather clever scientists, best in the universe actually as far as this stuff is concerned; some of the stuff they've done with genetics and biological studies is just amazing… where was I? Oh yes, so basically they created their own little fairytale world on the moon, based on Earth fairytales, great huh!"

Gillian and Jennifer had stared at him in silence for a moment, waiting for their brains to catch up with the speed of the Doctor's speech. When she thought she understood Jennifer nodded.

"Sounds good," she said.

"Sounds weird," said Gillian.

"Great," said the Doctor, "I love weird!"

It was weird but it was also good and a great many other things. The terrain changed between snow covered mountain ranges, gold and silver beaches, flowering gardens and dense forests. The people all wore beautiful hand-stitched clothes, from the richest nobleman to the poorest peasant and everyone was kind and welcoming to them.

"But if this is all a fairytale then where are the witches and wolves and sorcerers and evil queens, and I'm not talkin' about Graham Norton." asked Gillian, gazing around at the tranquil village before them.

"Ah, well actually there aren't any." said the Doctor through a mouthful of rosy red apple from the immaculate orchard of some cheery old farmer.

"What do you mean there aren't any. It's not a fairytale if you don't have bad guys."

"Well the people who built this place didn't really like the idea of all that untapped evil just hanging around and besides it only exists in fairytales to be defeated. They didn't see the point of generating a whole batch of people that only existed to be destroyed."

"But the point of many fairytales was their cautionary aspect," chimed in Jennifer, "don't go into the woods or else, that kind of thing to stop children getting themselves into trouble. What's to stop them here, I mean if there really are no wolves to tear them apart what's to stop them wandering off and getting lost?"

"What's to stop you wandering off in your own town and getting lost? Somehow I don't think there are a lot of wolf infested forests in Stenhousemuir." The Doctor sounded cocky and he was standing with his hands on his hips looking at her in a sarcastic way.

"Because the same principal applies," she replied calmly, "A child hears a story about the bad things that can happen if you talk to strangers and just because they don't live in a quaint little village in the hills and the stranger they happen to meet the next day is clean-shaven and wearing jeans rather than a cloak and a long black beard doesn't mean the story they've heard doesn't apply. They still know that bad things can happen when you talk to strangers, even though the setting is different the story still resonates and the same applies for all other cautionary tales. It's the message that's important, not the story, and I don't say that very often."

Gillian was grinning, and the Doctor was giving her the same look they gave him when their minds were playing catch-up. Jennifer whipped the apple out of his unresisting hand and took a bite.

"Some aspects of Scottish Ethnology can be rather useful." She smirked and began to walk ahead down the path in the direction they had been heading before the argument broke out. The Doctor stared at the empty space where she had been for a minute before leaning towards Gillian. He took a deep breath.

"She's not bluffing." he said in a slightly strained voice.

"Nope," giggled Gillian, "she really is that deep, it was me who was bluffing." She patted the Doctor on the shoulder before dragging him off down the path behind her friend. The two girls linked arms, leaving the Doctor to slouch along behind them.

"I think he's sulking." said Gillian after a while.

"Let him sulk. Serves him right for acting so superior all the time."

"True."

"On the other hand he might just leave us here to teach us a lesson."

"Also true."

"Wait here." Jennifer let go of the other girl's arm and slowed her pace to match that of the Doctor.

"I'm not talking to you." he said.

"Oh grow up. You know for someone who'd nine hundred plus years old you can be remarkably childish sometimes."

"That's just my boyish charm." He smiled at her that time and she grinned back.

"Maybe. Alright, how about this, what's the square root of 793?"

"Easy, 28.160255."

"There you are then. I didn't know that. You, the Doctor, are officially the smartest person here okay. Feel any better?" He grinned widely.

"Absolutely!"

"Right then." Together they caught up with Gillian and all linked arms.

"To Oz?" asked the Doctor.

"Technically not a fairytale, but what the hell," sighed Jennifer, "To Oz!" The three of them began to skip down the road. All that could be seen was a trail of dust and a chorus of "We're off to see the wizard". Someone was watching them, and it wasn't the Wizard.

"All I'm saying is I'm not the cowardly lion alright! Neither am I the scarecrow with no brain." The Doctor was in full argumentative mode, hands on hips, legs planted firmly on the ground, shoulder width apart, face set in a pouting glare.

"Oh poor didoms. Are you the Tin Man then?" Gillian was taunting him.

"No, in fact I'd say I was rather over qualified on that front."

"In that case you must be Dorothy!" she crowed in delight. "The little girl from Kansas lives."

"I am not!" He managed to stop himself from stamping his foot.

"Are too, look, you even pout like a girl."

"I am not pouting!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

Jennifer ignored them. She had wandered a little further down the path they had been following to the edge of the wood. She sat down in the shade and put her hands behind her head, leaning against a tree for support. From experience she knew that an "Am not/Are too" argument between her friends could last for a long time and would probably result in the Doctor sulking for the second time that day and probably taking them back late out of spite. She closed her eyes and let the bright sunshine warm her face.

There was a noise behind her, like the sound of twigs cracking but when she turned there was nothing there. Telling herself not to be paranoid she sat back again. When the darkness of her closed eyes got suddenly deeper she didn't even have time to open them.

At their place on the road the Doctor and Gillian had concluded their argument with a tickle competition which the Doctor had won by holding Gillian upside down by her ankles and out of arms reach. When she went red in the face and threatened to break his sonic-screwdriver he let her go.

As she gasped for breath and sorted her hair the Doctor straightened the wrinkles she had made in his suit.

"Where's Jen?" asked Gillian suddenly, looking around.

"Wandered on ahead."

"Well where is she?" The Doctor looked around vaguely.

"I'm sure she's around here somewhere."

"Um, no she's not!"

"Ah. Right then." Slowly at first but with increasing speed they began to run towards the edge of the wood where they had last seen her, calling. When they got there the Doctor knelt down, examining the ground. Even Gillian could see it was flat where Jennifer had been sitting on it but there was a funny smell here too.

"What's that smell?" she asked.

The Doctor lifted his fingers up to her face, they were covered in silvery powder.

"What's that?"

"Mercury," he answered, "that's what the smell is too."

"Why Mercury, isn't that poisonous?"

"Extremely, for humans, took you long enough to work it out though. They used to use it to make top hats, and mirrors actually, and make-up as well."

"Thermometers," mumbled Gillian.

"Yeh, stuff like that." The Doctor pulled himself to his feet and rubbed his fingers on his coat. "But why mercury?" Gillian shook her head. "Come on." He reached out and took Gillian's hand before pulling her towards the trees.

"Where are we going?"

"Following the trail." He nodded towards the trees nearest to where Jennifer had been sitting, there were smudges of the mercury on the bark.

Carefully they picked their way through the bracken and nettles that covered the forest floor, following the silvery trail. Eventually they came to a clear space between the trees. Here the undergrowth had pulled back from the dirt and looked rather scorched around the edges. The centre of the clearing was smoking slightly with a silvery fog and the smell was very powerful. The Doctor pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to Gillian.

"Cover your mouth, try not to breathe it in."

Moving slowly towards the centre of the fog he reached down to the ground and picked something up.

"What is it?" asked Gillian through the handkerchief.

"Mirror." he replied, holding up the long shard of reflective glass. "Gillian, I think we just found your bad guy."

The TARDIS computer was whirring angrily. It occurred to Gillian that the ship absorbed the emotions of the Doctor and now he was angry. Angry because something in the forest had stolen Jennifer in a place where there were supposedly no bad things to steal people away. As he glared at the computer screen he talked in a low rapid voice while Gillian sat in the corner shivering with worry. She and Jennifer had known each other since primary school. They had been best friends for years but they'd never been in this much trouble before.

"It's this place," the Doctor was saying, as much to himself as to her, "it's stupid to think that a place full of fairytales, where evil is part of the fabric will just lie back and accept it when there's no evil around Jennifer was right about it all being wrong. It's generated its own evil! It's generated evil as a cure for itself and for some reason that evil has taken Jennifer. But why?" That last question was more of a yell. "Why her, why not one of us?"

"She was by herself." muttered Gillian. "We left her by herself."

"No. The mercury would have overcome all three of us together. It has to be something to do with Jennifer."

Gillian wasn't listening anymore although she did wonder why people called you by your name more when you were in trouble. She kept thinking that she shouldn't have teased the Doctor and let Jennifer walk on by herself. She'd been bored of their arguing and now she was missing. Even if the mercury would have got all three of them at least they'd be together. Somehow she felt lost without her friend, they always knew what each other were thinking and often said or did the same thing at the same time. Although she was used to being alone or with other people, right now when she knew they should be together she felt like there was part of her missing. The Doctor was talking at her but she didn't care, at least not until he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.

"Pay attention Gill. There must be something about Jennifer, there must be some reason she was taken. Something's been lurking here, for years probably, waiting for the right person to walk into their hands and it was Jennifer. Tell me why?" Gillian shrugged.

"Fairytales," she said lamely.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," she paused to try and fully form the thought that was in her head, "well she likes fairytales. More than likes really, she's really into them and she believes in them too."

"What do you mean she believes in them?"

"Faith and honour and truth and true love and all that kind of stuff. She may come off like a cynic but she really believes in all that stuff and…"

"Yes?"

"I think she understands them too. She knows what makes them work, all the bits that go together to make it work properly. Not just language or plot but something else, like a kind of force, a force that makes the fairytale a fairytale. Like magic I suppose. I think she knows what that is."

She looked glumly at the Doctor, expecting him to say that wasn't it but instead he was grinning at her.

"You're brilliant!" he shouted, kissing her on the top of her head. "You are absolutely brilliant! Gillian Graham you have just told me how to save your friend, does that make you feel good?" Gillian felt a golden glow coming from inside at his words.

"Absobloodylutely!"

"Fantastic, now" he turned back to the computer console, "we just have to find her."

There was something slightly clichéd about the situation Jennifer thought. Being knocked unconscious on the outskirts of a forest was bad enough but to wake up tied to a chair with thick, double knotted rope in a darkened room with a gag in your mouth was just a little too much. This was of course all a sub-thought to the immense terror that was gripping her but it was nice to know that there was a part of her looking around and saying, "Oh come on, surely you can do better than this!"

There were many sounds in the room she found herself in, most of which seemed to be coming from an ever moving ball of rags in the corner. This was also the main focus of her fear. Occasssionally it would whine like a wounded dog, then there would be a hacking cough, a cackle or a chilling scream. The bundle kept shivering and changing shape with lumps and bumps appearing under the fabric.

There was also a loud hissing sound coming from a cauldron in the corner, the flame beneath which was the only source of light. The stench coming from the thing was more foul than anything she had ever imagined but what worried her slightly more was the apparatus which swung from the roof above the evil pot. There was some kind of glass jar with many tubes dangling from it, like a great crystal jellyfish. Some of these tubes seemed to end in rather sharp needles. With the ball of rags on one side and the cauldron and it's attachments on the other Jennifer found the safest course of action to look straight ahead and had spent the last however long it had been staring at her pale reflection in the long, dusty mirror in front of her. Judging by the way she had been sprawled on the floor when she had come to it was almost as if she had been ejected head-first from the mirror itself. But that was impossible, magic mirrors were only in fairytales… ah. Right then.

She was about to consider attempting to untie herself when the bundle in the corner stopped twitching. It was still for a moment or two and then began to move with sharp spidery movements towards the cauldron. There it reached up, exhibiting the height it had hitherto concealed and pulled the glass jar down into the foul smelling liquid with an almighty splash accompanied by more hissing and a certain amount of petrol coloured goo slopping onto the floor. The thing took no notice and began to straighten the mess of feelers attached to the jar. Picking up some kind of metal arm band it attached a needle to one side and another tube to the other which then stretched out to another needle and another metal band.

Moving slower now towards the bound girl Jennifer could see that whatever it was had begun to twitch again and she tried to struggle free of her bonds. But the thing clapped the first metal band to her arm and retreated across the room to the warmth of the cauldron once more, fixing the other band to itself somewhere under its rags. Now quite terrified for her life, sanity and everything else she happened to possess Jennifer began to struggle harder but the thing in the corner gave a shrill cackle and reaching up once more released a cord on the side of the glass jar.

There was a terrible sucking noise and the liquid in the pot began to rise into the jar and then filter slowly out through the tube which was now stuck to her arm by the band. The pressure of the stuff in the tube caused the needle in the band to press into her arm and she felt a similar pressure on the other side, realising that there must have been another needle in the band itself on the other side. Whatever this goop was it was going to wash through her system and push all her blood out which would be transferred to the thing in the rags. Jennifer wasn't stupid, she knew exactly what to do in this situation. Working her jaw and tongue she managed to work free her gag. She took a deep breath and screamed.

The liquid in the tube was half way to her arm and the thing in the corner was twitching and hissing and screeching in excitement when all of a sudden the little room seemed to explode. There was light everywhere and noise and…

"Doctor!" she shouted, recognising the tall figure striding into the confusion.

The Doctor winked at her before drawing a long silver sword from under his coat. It shimmered in the new light and sent out a shringing sound as it cut through the air and down through the tube, ahead of the vile liquid. It trickled out onto the floor as Jennifer stared at it. The Doctor wandered over and unclipped the metal band from her arm. Jennifer suddenly realised that Gillian was there too.

Her friend appeared to be kitted out in all the bad guy killing equipment she could get her hands on including a string of garlic and what looked very much like a small flame-thrower.

"Gillian?"

The other girl grinned and helped her to her feet as the Doctor untied her.

"Who the hell died and made you Buffy?"

Gillian laughed but quickly went pale at the sight of the blood coated needle the Doctor was holding in his hand. There was a sufficient amount of blood coming out of the punctures on Jennifer's arm as well.

"Here." said Gillian handing over the Doctor's handkerchief which she still had in her pocket. When it had been tied tightly over the wound they all turned to peer into the corner.

The thing which had kidnapped Jennifer was crouched in the corner again and seemed too enraged or insane to try and run away. It writhed and howled before them in a miserable ball of dirt and rags. The Doctor stepped forward and, still keeping at a safe distance removed the vile cloak the creature wore. The two girls gasped and clung together more tightly.

It was a creature to be sure. Its body could not seem to decide what shape it should be and seemed to morph haphazardly between human, wolf, goblin, male and female and everything else in between. The noises that it made were animal, human, and everything else all jumbled up in a horrid mess.

"What is it?" asked Gillian.

"It doesn't know." replied the Doctor. "All that evil, all that power and energy and it doesn't know what it is. It's all the fairytales here. Out of everything it's the only bit of badness and it doesn't know quite where it fits in, it doesn't know what story it belongs to."

The thing on the floor was getting slower, its breathing was laboured and its metamorphosis was slowing down.

"What's happening to it?" murmured Gillian, transfixed.

"It's dying." said Jennifer softly.

"The morph takes up so much energy it can barely sustain its own life. Jennifer was its last chance."

The thing before them began to shrivel and go black. The three friends watched in silence until it was nothing but a black husk on the floor.

"Why did it want me?" said Jennifer, breaking the silence.

"Cos you understand fairytales." Gillian told her.

"What?"

"You understand fairytales," the Doctor repeated, "the thing sensed that. Because you understand it thought it could use you to decide what it was supposed to be. This stuff," he indicated the cauldron and it's contents, "it was supposed to suck the knowledge out of you and transfer it to the creature via your blood. What is it with blood and fairytales by the way?"

"Cautionary tales remember." Jennifer told him.

"Oh yeh, never thought of it like that. Anyway, it had obviously been waiting for someone like you to turn up for a while, had all this lovely goop all ready for you. Probably overheard our little disagreement earlier and decided you were the one it was looking for. But when I broke the connection it was already too far gone to do anything about it so it just let go." He knocked the little husk with his shoe. "Come on, let's get back to the TARDIS and get that arm fixed." They wandered out of the door into the bright sunshine of a fairytale glade complete with ruin.

"How did you find me?" asked Jennifer as they headed back towards the ship.

"Got the TARDIS to scan for you."

"Right, and why all the weapons, the sword and all Gill's lovely junk?" The Doctor scratched the back of his head.

"Didn't know what would work. Once I realised what the thing wanted you for I knew it wouldn't be able to settle on one form so we just grabbed everything that might have an effect."

"Garlic?" Gillian blushed at her friend's quizzical look.

"You never know," she muttered.

"Right." She turned to the Doctor. "What'll happen to this place? Will it generate more evil do you think?"

"Doesn't really matter. The Socrotites that built this place lost interest ages ago and it's going to crash into the sun in four years anyway."

"The Socrotites? I thought you said this place was called Veihmann 2." said Gillian.

"It is. The people who built it are from the nearest planet, Socratoa. In actual fact there is no original planet Veihmann, I've often wondered about that." He broke off when Jennifer suddenly stopped walking. She was bent double and her shoulders were shaking. Worried her two friends reached out towards her but she threw her head back and they saw that she was laughing.

"What's so funny?" asked Gillian, annoyed not to be in on the joke after such a difficult day.

"Veihmann!" crowed Jennifer through her giggles.

"What about it?" even the Doctor looked confused.

"You said that the Socrotites or whatever became obsessed with Earth fairytales and found out everything they could right?"

"Yes, what of it?"

"The Brothers Grimm got most of their stories from an old egg woman who lived in Kassel in one of the German states. She was known as "the fairytale wife"."

"So what?"

"Her name was Frau Dorothea Viehmann!" The others stared at her for a minute and then Gillian began to giggle. The Doctor shook his head.

"Definitely too much excitement for one day." He muttered and hauling one along with each hand he started back towards his ship. Bloody fairytales!


	6. Margarita Man

Margarita Man

Gillian was glad her parents were in Oban. Had they been home it was quite possible that she would have been run out of the house along with her companions and kept out in the rain to shut them up. Even now she had a funny feeling that the neighbours might complain in the morning.

The three of them were slumped on the floor of the living room. It was quite late and the CD player was plying the Scissor Sisters at a decent level. There were already two empty beer bottles on the window sill and Gillian was supping on a third. A litre of coke and a half bottle of rum were sustaining Jennifer while the Doctor had discovered a passion for the bottle of Margarita in Gillian's fridge.

"That's a girls drink!" Gillian had teased him.

"So." The Doctor had responded childishly.

"I bet he likes tequila sunrises as well." chuckled Jennifer.

"And what if I do?"

"How about pinacoladas?" Gillian had asked musingly.

"Why not?"

At that the two girls had taken a tight grip on him and bundled him out of the back door and into the back garden, subjecting him to the chilling rain. The Doctor had laughed before grabbing them and pulling them down the steps beside him. Together they danced around the garden singing at the tops of their voices.

"If you like pinacoladas," the sang, "And getting caught in the rain!"

Soaked to the skin they had run back inside where Gillian had handed around warm towels from the airing cupboard in the spare room. Now they were lying in the living room still slightly damp and chattering randomly.

"I know," said Gillian, sitting up suddenly, "let's play poker!"

"No money," said the Doctor.

"Can't play proper poker." muttered Jennifer. Then she too got a thought and sitting up, whispered in the other girl's ear.

"Excellent!" shouted Gillian getting up with only a little difficulty and disappearing up the stairs.

"What are you two playing at?" asked the Doctor, rolling over on his side to frown at Jennifer.

"Nothing," she replied, "just a bit of fun."

When Gillian came back she was carrying a small cardboard box in her hands which she set down on the rug.

"Dominoes!" exclaimed the Doctor. Gillian smirked.

"Strip dominoes," she announced. The girls giggled while the Doctor shook his head but eventually he capitulated. Gillian handed out the little rectangles of black plastic with their dimpled white dots and they agreed the Doctor should go first, then Gill, then Jennifer.

"If you can't place a tile you have to take something off. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

"Doctor?"

"Whatever."

"Right then. You first Doc."

The game was slow at first as it took a few rounds before anyone found they were in trouble. When they did it was Jennifer first but she got out of it by taking off her socks. Gillian's socks followed quickly, as did the Doctor's tie. They played on for a while more.

By one o'clock Gillian and Jennifer were barefoot with no jumpers and Gillian's belt was gone. The Doctor was similarly barefoot but had also been divested of his jacket, belt and glasses which meant he was having to squint at the dominoes.

"Come on Doc," said Gillian after a minute, "it's your turn."

The Doctor sighed.

"Chapping," he muttered as the girls squealed with delight. He considered for a minute before starting to unbutton his shirt.

"Ba ba ba ba-ba ba ba!" chorused the girls to the stripper theme. He sighed in drunken exasperation as he peeled of his damp shirt.

Both Gillian and Jennifer were trying to hide their interest but were both delighted to get a glimpse of the Doctor's bare torso. He was very slim but not in an ill way. There was muscle there, like strings of steel wire that rippled in his shoulders as he shrugged the shirt off. His skin was pale and a little wet from the rain. Gillian was on the point of abandoning the dominoes in favour of spin the bottle or keys in the bowl but managed to contain her lust as he grinned at the pair of them.

Thankfully both girls managed to play all their tiles without having to take any more off and even the Doctor escaped with his trousers but now they were all very drunk and very sleepy.

"There's a spare room," Gillian remembered before realising that there were only two beds for three bodies. She was about to suggest that the Doctor could share her bed when he offered to sleep on the sofa.

"No no no," insisted Jennifer, "it's leather, you'll stick to it and be all sore in the morning." She had a point.

"We could share," the Doctor said, winking lopsidedly but Gillian was not about to allow that. Not under her bloody roof!

"We'll share and you can take the spare." She grabbed Jennifer's arm as she spoke, dragging her friend away from the wickedly grinning Doctor.

"Party pooper," he pouted. But in the end that was the arrangement.

In the dark of Gillian's room the two girls wriggled under the duvet until they could see each other in the darkness.

"Would you?" asked Jennifer.

"What, with the Doctor?"

"Yeh."

"Totally!"

"What about Kev?" Gillian pouted.

"But window shopping's no fun. You know me, I have to try things on." Her friend laughed.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Would you?"

"Don't know."

"For God's sake he's in the next room. You saw him without his shirt. Are you seriously telling me that you wouldn't, that you haven't considered slipping through there and getting' it on with him?"

"Not as a serious proposition." She giggled.

"And may I ask why not?"

"Cos you'd kill me Gill."

"Very true."

"Night Gill."

"Night."

In the next room the Doctor stopped listening at the wall and went back to bed. He lay back with his hands behind his head and smiled at the ceiling. Now there was some information worth remembering. The Doctor closed his eyes and went to sleep still smiling.


	7. Drink Up Me Hearties Yo Ho

Drink Up Me Hearties Yo Ho

The TARDIS was wobbling dangerously and all her systems were blinking and screaming. Inside her control room Gillian and Jennifer clung desperately to the railings as the Doctor darted about, pushing buttons and generally trying to control the chaos.

"What's happening?" yelled Gillian above the noise.

"It's the navigation system!" shouted the Doctor. "Something's come loose. I'll have to put her on automatic land!"

"What does that mean?"

"She latches on to somewhere she's been before. The nearest point and brings us down!" As he shouted this last there was a almighty thump and everything stopped.

When their ears had stopped ringing the Doctor tapped the clock on the control panel.

"Out," he muttered, "oh well. Best take a look outside and see where we are."

The three of them headed for the exit but when the Doctor pulled the door open they were met with a forest of rather sharp swords all pointing in their direction.

"Ah," said the Doctor, somewhat perplexed, "right then."

"My dear old Doctor," came a rough voice from the sea of metal before them, "it's not that I don't enjoy your occasional visits but I'd appreciate it in future if you didn't land your bloody great blue box on my pretty ship. Ruins the paintwork you see."

"Jack!" exclaimed the Doctor happily as the swords parted and a man came forward. He was of medium height and heavily tanned with long dark dreadlocks decorated with strings of beads and held back from his face with a red bandanna beneath a leather tri-corn hat. He wore a similar leather coat, a blousy white shirt and knee high leather boots with huge turn-ups. At his waist there was a short straight sword and a nasty looking pistol. Even without an eye-patch , a parrot or a wooden leg they could see this man was clearly a pirate; and he was smiling at them.

"Jack well this is just fantastic!" The Doctor was clearly overjoyed. "But um do you think you could maybe get your friends to put their swords down?"

"Of course. Put 'em down lads, it's just the Doctor." The swords were lowered to reveal a number of dirty and toothless faces. "But what may I ask are you doing here this time?"

The Doctor patted the blue wall of the TARDIS.

"The old girl went sour on me in the middle of a wormhole, had to do an emergency landing."

"I see. And who might these two lovely ladies be?"

The Doctor suddenly remembered the girls peering over his shoulder.

"Of course. Jack meet Gillian and Jennifer. Girls this is Captain Jack Sparrow the best pirate in the Spanish Maine!"

The pirate captain's eyes smouldered like hot coals.

"It's a pleasure," he murmured, "My first-mate Mr Gibbs would have me believe that women on board ship are bad luck, but personally I've always found them rather diverting. Care to join me for a drink?"

The girls looked at the Doctor who was grinning manically and motioning them to follow Jack. The pirate led them towards the back of the ship and into a room below the upper deck. This was a well furnished cabin with a long oaken table at which he seated them all before digging into a cabinet and pulling out several bottles and tankards.

"The first time I met Jack," the Doctor was saying, "he was stranded on some tiny fleck of sand and foliage that passes for an island out here. We had a rather pleasant time going through the rum cache he had found then I helped him escape."

"How?" questioned Jennifer.

"Well when the rum runners turned up looking for their stuff I gave them some useful stock information in return for not shooting Jack."

"They have a stock market?"

"No but after I explained it to them they were a little confused and agreed to take him anyway."

"What's that?" asked Gillian looking surreptitiously at the brownish liquid in the bottles Jack was setting on the table.

"Rum," answered Jack, "what else?"

"Um you don't have any beer or anything do you?" asked Gillian, still eyeing the bottles.

"Beer," said Jack reeling somewhat as though she had said something heinous, "is the tipple of rich country gents, sat in the plush tap-rooms of the local inn on their rolling county estates. This is the Caribbean."

"Well I love the stuff," said Jennifer cheerily, "but do you have any water?"

"Why?"

"Cos straight I can hardly finish a glass but watered down a little I can drink bottles of the stuff."

"Then raise your flagon pretty lady," he whispered softly, leaning over her shoulder and pressing his lips to her ear.

"I think I'll go take a look at the TARDIS." said the Doctor, grinning quietly. He knew Jack Sparrow was dangerous but he also knew he was a good man. The girls were safe, well, relatively safe anyway. He slipped out of the cabin and back across the deck when a woman stopped him. She was dark and slim with long black hair and she was glaring at him slightly.

"So you're back again?" she said in a soft Caribbean accent.

"Ah, Anna-Maria, how are you?"

"Not bad. But I didn't think Jack would let you back on the Pearl after last time." She cast a flirtatious look at him from beneath her lashes and pressed against him in the full knowledge that Jack was occupied elsewhere.

"Does Jack know about last time?" he asked with slight worry in his voice. Anna-Maria laughed and gave him a shove.

"Of course not. You want some help with your ship?"

"I could use a hand."

"Okay then." She pulled him back towards the TARDIS by the front of his jacket, both of them grinning.

Jennifer wandered out of Jack's cabin. They had been on the ship for two or three hours by now and she was finding the enclosed space a little stuffy. She stood out on the deck for a couple of minutes letting the sea air wash over her and cool her down. She watched the crew climbing the rigging like ants. The cool air cured the slightly light-headed feeling she had been having. That was because of the rum, this was strong stuff but she knew how to take it. The trick was to take a certain amount watered down and intersperse it with simple glasses of water. Like that she had gone through two bottles and was still standing. Gillian on the other hand, despite her usual ability to take whatever was being dished out in ample doses had barely finished her first and after taking it straight was already pretty far gone.

Deciding to go and check on the Doctor she headed for the police box in the prow of the boat. As she approached the door a girl came out and smiled at her.

"Is the Doctor in there?" asked Jennifer.

"Sure."

"Thanks."

The Doctor's legs were poking out from beneath the control panel. His coat and jacket were hanging over the nearby rail and there was a buzzing sound coming from where he was lying.

"How's it coming?" she asked, kneeling down beside him. He looked up and smiled at her.

"Good, nearly done."

"Who was that?"

"Anna-Maria. She's one of Jack's crew. The two of them have a… special relationship."

"What? Did he get her pregnant or something?"

"No, he stole her boat."

"Um, okay."

"She doesn't like to talk about it."

"I see."

The Doctor sat up. "How's Gillian?"

"At this moment she's wearing Jack's hat, sitting on his lap and asking to touch his big long pistol." The Doctor smiled at her again.

"That sounds about right. What about you? Do you like him?"

She shrugged, "He's pretty cool."

The Doctor threw back his head and laughed at that.

"You are unbelievable," he told her and she found she was laughing as well.

"Why?"

"Listen, Jack Sparrow is one of these guys that women either adore or can't stand, "pretty cool" is definitely a new one!"

"Well Gillian is definitely in the first category, but what about Anna-Maria?" The Doctor considered for a minute before answering.

"Somewhere in the middle I think."

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You twitched!"

"I didn't."

"Yes you did, you twitched when I said Anna-Maria."

"I did not!"

"Yes you did, you just did it again!"

"No I didn't!"

"Anna-Maria. Look you did it again! Oh my God," she began to role about laughing, "you had a fling with Anna-Maria didn't you?" The Doctor blushed.

"There was a lot of rum involved alright. Anyway, you said Gillian and Jack were getting on pretty well?"

Seeing that the Doctor was obviously embarrassed Jennifer relented but she would have to tell Gill later.

"Yeh," she said, getting her giggles under control, "there's definitely something about slim brunettes, they obviously make good pirate wenches."

"Nah, Gill's too skinny to be a proper wench. You on the other hand,"

"What about me?" she asked, shocked at what the Doctor was saying.

"Well, you'd make a very good buxom figure-head. Oww!" Jennifer had hit him.

"Fix the damn ship." she told him before collapsing into giggles again.

Gillian was indeed wearing Jack's hat and ensconced on his lap admiring the old pistol he had given her out of his belt. She was feeling ever so slightly tipsy and was having to keep quite a tight hold on the Captain to stop herself falling over in the spinning room.

"Oooo, it's so pretty," she cooed. "I've got a boyfriend in the navy you know."

"Have you love, that's nice. And tell me has this man of yours ever caught a pirate?" Gillian thought for a while, her head cocked on one side.

"Don't think so," she said after a while.

"What a pity. And have you ever considered turning pirate yourself?"

"Could I?"

"Of course, you'll need a name though, a really good pirate name."

"Oo, what about…," she thought again, "Red Handed Gill! Yeh that sounds good."

"Red Handed Gill it is then," Jack whispered as his brown hands darted around her waist and he flashed her a gold-toothed grin to which she pouted in return.

"So can I come and sail with you then?" she asked.

"Oh absolutely love, I know just the job for you too."

Jack didn't even have to move. Gillian swooped forward drunkenly and planted a kiss right on his mouth. However after a minute or so she realised that she couldn't move backwards, Jack was holding her firmly in place. Shrugging to herself she opened her mouth letting his tongue run over her teeth. For a second a vision of Kev flashed in front of her eyes but she ignored it. The rules of cheating clearly stated that if you cheated in a different time zone then it didn't count and three hundred odd years was definitely a different time zone. It was as Jack began to reach under her shirt to her bare back that there was a loud bang and the Doctor was suddenly in the room.

"Well would you look at the time, we have to be going. Come on Gill."

She was plucked unwillingly from the pirate captain's lap, and dragged out into the warm Caribbean sunshine after replacing the Captain's hat. Jennifer was standing by the door of the TARDIS, smirking. As Gillian was pulled inside Jennifer reached out and plucked the half empty rum bottle from her unresisting fingers.

"See you next time Jack," chirruped the Doctor as the pirates gathered round to watch him leave.

"Any time Doc." He gave a mock little bow and winked at the girls. "A pleasure ladies."

And with that they were gone.

Inside the TARDIS the Doctor was frowning at Gillian who was slumped in a corner.

"We can't take her home in that condition," he muttered. Jennifer took a deep swig from the confiscated bottle and shrugged.

"What, a drunken horny Gillian, no one'll notice any difference." They both laughed, that was until Gillian began to vomit all over the control room. After that no one was laughing anymore.


End file.
